manage

/ˈmænɪdʒ/

/ˈmænɪdʒ/

Other forms: managed; managing; manages

To manage is to skillfully handle something. If you can barely manage to keep your goldfish alive, you should probably think twice about adopting those Golden Retriever puppies.

The verb manage also means to supervise or oversee either things or people at work. You might manage six people at the donut shop, even though you've only worked there for four months. If you carefully manage your donut shop earnings, you should be able to buy that new car next year. Manage also means to cope with or come to terms with. It might seem scary to go to college in another state, but I know you'll manage.

Definitions of manage

1. verb

   be in charge of, act on, or dispose of
   “She managed her parents' affairs after they got too old”

   synonyms: care, deal, handle

   types:

   administer, administrate

   work in an administrative capacity; supervise or be in charge of

   organise, organize

   cause to be structured or ordered or operating according to some principle or idea

   work

   cause to operate or function

   come to grips, get to grips

   deal with (a problem or a subject)

   dispose of

   deal with or settle

   mind, take care

   be in charge of or deal with

   coordinate

   bring into common action, movement, or condition

   juggle

   deal with simultaneously

   process

   deal with in a routine way

   misconduct, mishandle, mismanage

   manage badly or incompetently

   direct

   be in charge of

   carry on, conduct, deal

   direct the course of; manage or control

   touch

   deal with; usually used with a form of negation

   curate

   organize and oversee items in a collection or exhibit

   finesse

   plan, manage, or direct with subtle and skillful maneuvering

   arrange, order, put, set up

   arrange thoughts, ideas, or temporal events

   give, have, hold, make, throw

   organize or be responsible for

   rationalise, rationalize

   structure and run according to rational or scientific principles in order to achieve desired results

   pontificate

   administer a pontifical office

   territorialise, territorialize

   organize as a territory

   reorganise, reorganize, shake up

   organize anew

   collectivise, collectivize

   bring under collective control; of farms and industrial enterprises

   tend

   manage or run

   guide, steer

   be a guiding or motivating force or drive

   head, lead

   be in charge of

   oversee, superintend, supervise

   watch and direct

   operate, run

   direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.

   racketeer

   carry on illegal business activities involving crime

   administer

   direct the taking of

   type of:

   command, control

   exercise authoritative control or power over
2. verb

   watch and direct
   synonyms: oversee, superintend, supervise

   types:

   build

   order, supervise, or finance the construction of

   type of:

   administer, administrate

   work in an administrative capacity; supervise or be in charge of
3. verb

   be successful; achieve a goal
   “I managed to carry the box upstairs”

   synonyms: bring off, carry off, negociate, pull off

   antonyms:

   fail

   be unable

   type of:

   bring home the bacon, come through, deliver the goods, succeed, win

   attain success or reach a desired goal
4. verb

   handle effectively
   “The young violinist didn't manage her bow very well”

   synonyms: handle, wield

   types:

   ply

   wield vigorously

   pump

   operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal

   sweep, swing, swing out

   make a big sweeping gesture or movement

   goose

   give a spurt of fuel to

   type of:

   manipulate

   hold something in one's hands and move it
5. verb

   carry on or function
   synonyms: do
6. verb

   achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods
   synonyms: finagle, wangle, wrangle

   type of:

   accomplish, achieve, attain, reach

   gain with effort
7. verb

   come to terms with
   synonyms: contend, cope, deal, get by, grapple, make do, make out

   types:

   extemporize, improvise

   manage in a makeshift way; make do with whatever is at hand

   fend

   try to manage without help

   cut, hack

   be able to manage or manage successfully

   rub along, scrape along, scrape by, scratch along, squeak by, squeeze by

   manage one's existence barely

   cope with, match, meet

   satisfy or fulfill

   type of:

   act, move

   perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)